Cons:

I died once in BioWare's three-hour downloadable add-on to Dragon Age II. Dragon Age II -- Legacy is short and lacks any serious challenge for true Champions of Kirkwall, but at the same time it delivers an interesting storyline that taps into the very core of the franchise's lore. So is it worth the $10 digital price tag that Electronic Arts slapped on it?

Hardcore Dragon Age: Origins fans weren't happy with BioWare's console-friendly sequel, and they let the studio and publisher Electronic Arts know it -- most notably through aggregator website Metacritic, where the game earned a paltry user score of 4.2 out of 10. EA and BioWare received the message and promised to shift the balance away from fighting like a Spartan and more toward thinking like a general in this first DLC pack for the game.

The Darkspawn's new shield-toting tank in action.

The rundown: In Legacy, Dragon Age II protagonist Hawke finds himself targeted by a gang of smugglers turned bloodthirsty murderers. When Hawke tracks the gang to its hideout, he discovers an ancient Grey Warden prison and a mystery surrounding the creature held there. As he fights his way deeper into the tower-like prison that's carved out of a mountain, Hawke discovers that his father was forced to make a difficult choice here, and he ultimately learns the creature being held in this prison is no man or Darkspawn, but something else entirely.

So how does it play? Legacy does offer a bit of a change-up in regard to the types of enemies you face and the tactics they use while attempting to cut the lives of Hawke and his chatty companions short. It's as if Legacy's Darkspawn went to Dragon Age: Origins boot camp, learning the basic tank/shield, ranged attack, and support class alignment. You'll see it often, specifically when you encounter a new shield-toting Darkspawn who takes his tank role very seriously, allowing his ranged and magic-using cohorts to do their dirty work at a distance while you focus on getting around the veritable snowplow.

Dragon Age II finally gets its main villain, Corypheus.

It's a fine effort to get back to the tactical origins of Dragon Age: Origins, but it falls short because the veteran players that would most appreciate the "pause, plan, and play" approach are likely already too powerful to be more than slightly slowed by the hordes of Darkspawn inhabiting the ancient Grey Warden prison. You see, Legacy is set before the conclusion of Dragon Age II... and it seems like it's intended for those who aren't even close to becoming the Champion of Kirkwall.

With full Champion Armor, champion-level weapons, and a group of similarly leveled and equipped companions, you simply won't find a challenge in Legacy, no matter how tactical the Darkspawn are. Even when BioWare threw flames, specters, ice, electricity and one very pissed-off magistrate at me all at once, my battle-hardened Hawke barely broke a sweat. Worse, with the aforementioned high-level characters, none of the new loot you score in Legacy tops the weapons and equipment you're already lugging around, resulting in a disappointing treasure hunt for seasoned Dragon Age II players who were hoping for something new.

The good news is, BioWare is on the right path; Legacy is a promising development for fans hoping the franchise's third installment will feature a return to the tactical gameplay of Dragon Age: Origins. Unfortunately, it's a bit too late for Dragon Age II, and Legacy's legacy is as a $10 reminder of the full game's shortcomings.

Spy Guy says: What did you think of Dragon Age II -- Legacy? Did you snag it before you tricked out your party, or was it a slog through Easyville? And, what do you want to see out of the next bit of Dragon Age II DLC?